Tidy Towns Awards…Drumroll Please…

Monday 21st October was the occasion of the Clane Tidy Towns Awards night where all of the hard work of residents associations, local businesses and the Tidy Towns committee was celebrated. Our new All-Ireland Champions – the wonderful Clane and Rathcoffey Community Games Mixed Under 10 Gaelic Football team – were also honoured…

Clane and Rathcoffey Community Games

Clane’s Community Games endeavours lasted all the way to the national finals in Athlone this year as our Mixed Under 10 Gaelic Football team made it all the way to the finals…and won…becoming All Ireland Champions!

The squad were carefully and expertly coached and managed by a team consisting of Ray Kiernan, John Doherty, David Farrell and Jill Gillman, all of whom were thanked for the time and effort they put into the panel.

Of course the team could not have progressed without physically getting to the various matches, and so for their generous financial support which enabled coach hire, local businesses P.D.M., Cooney Electronics, XL Tools Leixlip, David Lowe and Co. Ltd. – Greg Hopkins, Paul McCormack – McCormack Hooper Dolan, and Robert Massey – Bostik Ltd. were all thanked.

A special presentation was also made to the wonderful Martina Healy for her leadership and dedication to Clane and Rathcoffey Community Games. So many of the children of Clane have enjoyed Community Games over the years thanks to her hard work, and the work of her enthusiastic committee.

Congratulations to all involved and here’s looking forward to our All Ireland champions achieving even greater successes in the years to come.

Clane Tidy Towns

Clane Tidy Towns achievements were also celebrated on the evening. The chairman of Clane Community Council, John Kennedy, thanked the residents, the businesses, the churches, the schools, the scouts, the individuals and in particular the hardworking Committee of Clane Tidy Towns for helping Clane look so well this year, progressing even further in the national Tidy Towns competition than before, this year reaching top of it’s class in Kildare.

Matt Hayes from the Tidy Towns Committee then thanked the various sponsors of the night all of the contributors to the activities during the year before finally the moment of truth: the results of the best kept estates and best kept premises were announced. With prizes sponsored by Clane Project Centre, the winners were:

Small Estates

Awarded jointly to Mainham Wood and College Grove

Butterstream Drive and Lawn

Medium Estates

Park View

Oatfield Park

Large Estates:

Abbey Park

Central Park and Churchfield

Loughbollard

Best Presented Premises

Manzor’s – The Village Inn

Although not every estate could receive an award, no estate went home empty handed as Clane Tidy Towns had organised for a Nest Box and a bag of spring bulbs to be presented to each estate as a thank you for participating the competition. The Tidy Towns committee passed on a sincere thank you to everyone who helped out in Clane Tidy Towns activities in 2013 in any way – and encouraged anyone with any suggestions for improvements in 2014 to get in touch with any of them at any time.

Indeed – there is a great opportunity coming up this November 8th to meet with the Tidy Towns team: they are hosting a table quiz in Manzor’s on Friday evening in support of Clane Tidy Towns activities. Tables of four costing €40 with kick off at 9pm. Why not enter a team and help close off the Tidy Towns year with some fun!